Task force looking at Estes Park's economic future

By David Persons - For the Trail-Gazette

Posted:
02/25/2013 11:19:53 PM MST

Greg Rosener calls the community assessment being conducted this week by a Denver-based non-profit organization the “critical element” for Estes Valley Partners for Commerce as that group moves forward with plans to create an economic development council.

“We needed this for third party validation,” Rosener said late Monday night, following a day where four different focus groups – 137 total people – voiced their opinions about Estes Park businesses, organizations, town government, traffic, tourism, and the need to recruit more primary job companies.

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Rosener is the chair of an Estes Valley Partners for Commerce task force that has been working for almost a year to lay the groundwork for an economic development council. His group recently completed a preliminary report: The Estes Valley's Economic Future: The Path Forward.

Rosener said the community assessment that is being done by Downtown Colorado, Inc. was recommended by a number of economic development organizations that met with the EVPC task force. Rosener said the assessment should be the final piece the task force needs as it seeks both town government and community support for an economic development council.

Downtown Colorado, Inc. conducted its focus groups at the Estes Park Conference Center in the Rocky Mountain Park Inn and also took a downtown tour on Monday. The results of the focus groups and input from the tour will provide the background for the assessment report that will be presented to Estes Park town officials and the public at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. That presentation will be made in Estes Park Town Hall Boardroom, 170 MacGregor Avenue.

Members of the EVPC task force listened to many of the focus groups Monday and came away with a positive feeling about what was discussed.

“I'm impressed with how the community embraced this,” said Charley L. Dickey IV, a EVPC task force member. “Wasn't it nice on how no one asked: ‘How are we going to fund this?' It was just so nice not to get side-tracked.”

That isn't to say that there weren't a lot of different points raised during the focus groups.

Some positive comments about Estes Park included: Rocky Mountain National Park; strong associations (real estate, lodging, wedding, etc.); a low vacancy rate for the Stanley Village shopping center; 75,000 tourists a day in the summer; the downtown River Walk; closeness to Front Range communities, and the closeness to Denver International Airport.

A few negative comments included: Estes Park is not bicycle-friendly; a lack of diversity among businesses; declining school enrollment; a lack of affordable housing; no inventory of businesses; no chamber of commerce; a need for a better recycling program; polarization of people who want town to grow and those who don't.

Katherine Correll, the director of Downtown Colorado, Inc., said she and her six-person staff would work hard Tuesday to come up with a meaningful presentation for the town later in the day.

She said while Estes Park thinks of itself as unique, a lot of its problems aren't.

“A lot of their concerns are more common than you would think” Correll said. “Like a lack of communication and structure, the inability to exchange communication, not necessarily talking to each other . . . this is more common than you might think.”

Downtown Colorado, Inc. members will have a working breakfast beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday followed by a nearly full day dedicated to follow-up interviews, developing a presentation, working on an action matrix, and a closed meeting with the EVPC task force and town administrator.

The public presentation and reception will follow at 4:30 p.m

Community assessment presentation

Downtown Colorado, Inc. will present a community assessment to Estes Park town officials and the public at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. That presentation will be made in the Estes Park Town Hall Board Room, 170 MacGregor Avenue.

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